


A Life like Spun Sugar

by Boomchick



Series: Sefikura Week 2021 [1]
Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Sweet home - Fandom
Genre: Bittersweet, Blood and Gore, Canonical Character Death, Inspired by Sweet Home (TV), M/M, Monsters, Sefikura Week 2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:47:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28988037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boomchick/pseuds/Boomchick
Summary: It's been months now since humans started turning into monsters. Since Hojo closed off the labs below in a final act of defiance against the monsters he created. The monsters that destroyed him. Usually the only warning is a nosebleed.Now Cloud lives in the ruins of Shinra with the small band of surviving Soldiers and Troopers, led by Sephiroth even as the world crumbles around them.
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Series: Sefikura Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2126409
Comments: 29
Kudos: 157
Collections: Sefikura (Sephiroth/Cloud) Week - Yearly Event





	A Life like Spun Sugar

**Author's Note:**

> Sweet Home is an excellent Korean apocalyptic horror drama, but it deals with extremely heavy themes. If you decide to pick it up based on this fic, please take seriously their warning for suicidal imagery, blood, gore, and death!
> 
> ...That said, it absolutely rules, and I was delighted to have an excuse to write this piece. Happy Sefikura week!!!!

Shinra’s first response, of course, was to pretend it wasn’t happening. To drag every trooper with a nosebleed downstairs, down into the cages, to lock them away, to keep it quiet.

Cloud still remembered the way Hojo had laughed when he died. The way he’d been laughing, while blood poured down his face, and out of his chest, and he slammed the panic button to shut down the labs. The shutdown hadn’t held them at bay forever. The things— the  _ monsters—  _ underground… Even Soldiers were no match for them.

Especially when Soldiers started to become them.

  
  


Zack was sitting nearby, staring down at his shaking hands. At Angeal’s dog tags. His fingers trembled. They were covered in blood. Sephiroth was standing nearby, his eyes averted. Before, Cloud would have always shied away from Sephiroth’s presence. He was too much. Too glorious. Too beautiful. Too perfect.

Now he was filthy, and wore the least-disgusting fatigues available, and walked out with bog-standard troopers on supply runs in the desperate hope of keeping just a few more people alive.

Their numbers dwindled daily. Still, Cloud might have kept avoiding him, but… But Sephiroth didn’t seem to know what to do with Zack’s grief. Hadn’t seemed to know what to do from the moment Angeal changed. When Angeal went in seconds from stirring the stew they would share for dinner to grunting, and stumbling away. Cloud would never get the sight of it out of his head. Zack going to him, hands cupped over Angeal’s face and chin, as if he could convince the blood to stop flowing with a tender touch.

It hadn’t stopped anything. It just meant Zack was the one that Angeal flung across the room when he transformed. That he fixated on as his body twisted and morphed and changed.

‘Fight! Fight for your honor! For your life!’

And Zack had. Even as Cloud and the troopers scattered. Even as Sephiroth stood frozen, watching. Watching as Zack’s blade struck home over and over. As what was left of Angeal wheezed ‘thank you’ and then lay still.

Zack had managed it before golden hour passed. Angeal wouldn't rise again like Genesis had after he turned. They’d all seen what happened when Genesis turned. All knew that he was still out there, somewhere. Immortal now, and forever desperate for blood to prove himself. They all knew what Zack had spared them by killing Angeal.

They could only guess what it had cost him.

Now no one seemed to know what to say. Cloud had hovered. Had waited for Sephiroth to move on. To leave Zack alone so he could go to him, and be his backwater friend, and try to get him to drink. To eat. To talk.

Sephiroth hadn’t moved. Whatever he lacked— and Cloud was sure at this point that the word was ‘lack,’ because no one in this grim new world acted like Sephiroth did— the once-perfect Soldier had not left his friend’s side. Whether it was an attempt at comfort, or a condemnation, or just because he himself was broken by it, Cloud wasn’t sure.

He was sure that if he left Zack alone today, he’d never forgive himself when his friend's nose started bleeding. A week from now, a month from now, a year from now. No matter when it happened, Cloud would know, always, that it was the guilt from today that started it. He had to try.

So he forced his legs to move, and he brought over his bottle of water, and dropped down to sit beside Zack, and cracked it open loudly. He didn’t flinch when both Zack and Sephiroth jumped. When Sephiroth pinned that intense gaze on him, and Zack took a shuddering breath.

“Here.” Cloud took Zack’s wrist. Drew his arms forward, away from his knees. Poured some of his water ration over his friend's palms to rinse away some of the blood. It spread the iron smell of it, but Angeal's tags shone under the shallow pool of water in Zack’s hands.

“Hey Spike.” Zack said, a numb quality to his jovial voice.

“Hey.” Cloud agreed. Held the mouth of the bottle to Zack’s lips. “Drink.”

“I’m fine.” Zack whispered.

His chapped lips bled across the water bottle’s mouth. Cloud just hummed and tipped it anyway. Zack drank with a soft huff of laughter. He closed one hand around the dog tags. Lifted the other to take the bottle from Cloud’s hand. Chugged the rest of it with eyes closed.

Sephiroth was still staring.

“Better?” Cloud asked, leaning some of his weight against Zack’s side.

“Don’t be mad if I say no?” Zack offered with a soft, awful laugh trapped in his words.

“Can’t be mad at you.” Cloud said with a shrug. 

He kept his eyes on the barricaded gate to Shinra. Zack hadn’t looked away from it since the team of troopers had dragged Angeal’s massive body outside.

Sephiroth took a slow breath. Cloud kept his eyes averted. Lifted one hand to rest on top of Zack’s clenched, trembling fist. The metal necklace was warm from being held.

“He was still him.” Zack said, haunted and low. “He might not even have hurt anyone. I shouldn’t have—”

“He made you.” Cloud said, shaking his head. “He wanted you to. To keep everyone safe.”

“Bastard.” Zack swore, his hand tightening around the metal, squeezing so tight Cloud thought he might grind the dog tags to dust.

“No.” Sephiroth said. The first he’d spoken that Cloud had seen since Angeal turned. “He was a hero.”

Cloud shot a glare up at him, shaking his head tightly. But Zack didn’t seem angry. He took a shaking breath. Nodded with a loose bob of his head. Seemed to get stuck in the motion. Repeated it over and over until Cloud dragged him closer with one arm around his back.

He held on till Zack stopped shaking and went limp against his shoulder.

“Is he asleep?”

Cloud sucked in a breath as Sephiroth spoke. Lifted his eyes up long legs and long hair, to the cold, strange observation of his eyes. Once they had been considered so beautiful. Now… Now Cloud heard whispers among the other troopers. Inhuman eyes were no longer a marker of beauty. Not in this world.

“Yes, sir.” He said, fighting to hold eye contact. Not to panic. Not to run.

“There are no ‘sir’s here anymore.” Sephiroth said, stepping closer and crouching at Zack’s other side. “I will take him to the barracks. He will feel better for resting in a bed.”

Cloud swallowed. “No offense, sir, I don’t think anything will make him feel better.”

He found himself pinned by Sephiroth’s gaze. From so close, he could see his slit pupils tighten. Danger, screamed his heart, his blood, his body. Danger.

“Time, perhaps.” Sephiroth muttered, lowering his gaze, sliding one arm behind Zack’s knees and the other around his back. “If he lasts long enough.”

And then quietly, so softly Cloud thought he imagined it at first.

“We can only hope.”

-*-*-*-*-*-

Zack bounced back. Thanks in no small part to the Turk’s scouting party making it home with some new faces. Among them, a woman that Zack recognized on sight and swept up into a desperate, delirious hug. They had laughed and sobbed together, clinging to one another.

Cloud eyed Tseng and Rufus suspiciously. There had been survivor groups before, and it had always caused some amount of stress, some tension. But seeing Zack brighten so immediately turned every Soldier and Trooper’s heart to the side of welcoming the survivors. 

They came with stories, at least. And the promised supplies, though never as many as their cell really needed. Many of them had been Avalanche before. One, their leader, had protected his tiny daughter all this time. She was shy, and small, but it was just... Good to see a child alive. Another of their group had been an aspiring actress in that vast yawning 'before.' That night, while Zack and Aerith sat twined together, she performed a monologue for their whole group of survivors.

Cloud stood in the back to watch. He didn’t think anyone else saw Sephiroth slip away.

Perhaps it was paranoia that made him follow. Maybe it was some lingering tenderness he felt towards the man who had carried Zack to bed that awful night. Who had not known what to say, but had stayed by his side none the less.

Perhaps it was simply the idle curiosity of a former fanboy.  Either way, he followed. 

He found Sephiroth outside on the fifty fourth floor. Found him leaning out over a balcony rail, one hand holding his hair back, letting the blood from his nose flow unimpeded down into the open air.

Cloud probably should have pushed him over the edge and hoped the fall killed him.

“How long?” Cloud asked instead, closing the door behind him to ward off any more onlookers.

“My whole life.” Sephiroth replied, voice calm despite the blood that poured between his lips. Stained his teeth red. Cloud had never seen a worse nosebleed.

“Are you human?” Cloud asked.

“Probably not.” Sephiroth admitted, like it was easy. When he glanced back at Cloud there were no whites in his eyes anymore. Nothing but that wild green in his eyes, and slit pupils straight down the centers.

Cloud probably should have been afraid.

“You haven’t hurt anyone, though.” He said.

“That is inaccurate.” Sephiroth chuckled, turning back to watching his blood flow towards the ground. “You mean to say I have not hurt anyone here. I have hurt a great many people in my time.”

“It’s different.”

“Is it?”

Cloud thought of days he fired his rifle for Shinra, before. It all felt so pointless now.

“I hope so.” He answered at last.

Silence fell for a moment. Then Sephiroth let out a slow breath. Wiped a gloved hand over his face. It came away wet with blood. His face was stained pink and red when he turned away from the drop. He slid down the side of the rail to sit, one leg outstretched and the other folded. His left arm rested over his bent knee, blood dripping slowly off the fingers of his gloves.

“What will you do?” Sephiroth asked.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“I’d rather not. You’re Zack’s friend. But if I must weigh the lives of everyone here against yours, I believe I will have no choice.”

“Are you threatening them?” Cloud felt his back straighten. Felt his hand itch for his gun.

“Quite the contrary.” Sephiroth’s eyes were changing. The color in them billowed like ink. Reigned itself in, and ringed once more into an iris. Like an octopus changing its color. “They need me here. I keep them safe. But only so long as they believe my power is due to Shinra’s experimentation and not my own monstrosity. I will not lose those I have left.”

“So you’ll protect them.” Cloud said. “Zack. Aerith. Kunsel. Everyone.”

“Yes.”

Cloud fished in his pocket. Pulled out the semi-washed rag he kept to keep his rifle as clean as he could. Stepped closer, holding it out to the man he’d once idolized. The monster.

“Then we’re on the same side.” Cloud said.

Sephiroth looked at the rag. Not disgust in his gaze, thank the gods, but something complicated. He took a slow breath. Extended a hand. Took the cloth without touching Cloud’s fingers.

“Zack calls you Spike.” He said, as if he were testing the waters as he worked the rag between his dripping gloved fingers.

“Nickname.” Cloud said, shaking his head. “I’m Cloud. Cloud Strife.”

“Cloud.” Sephiroth spoke his name like he was tasting it, with blood in his mouth, blood on his teeth. He looked up at him from cold green eyes that never had been human. “I’ll remember that.”

-*-*-*-*-

The first time Cloud saw Sephiroth die, he almost screamed. Almost. It would have been a problem if he had. Because even as Sephiroth went down, Cloud heard him click his tongue behind his teeth in annoyance, and he remembered—

_ How long? _

_ My whole life. _

“Did Sephiroth just go down?” Zack’s voice crackled through the radio in terror.

Sephiroth’s glazed eyes stared up at Cloud.

“Negative!” Cloud radioed back before he could second-guess himself. “Negative, I have eyes on, he’s alright!”

“Thank fucking  _ Ifrit _ !” Zack called back. “Get him back to the building till he’s on his feet, we’ve got this!”

“ _Bring me a bride_ _,_ ” Howled the monster that had once been Don Corneo, its voice warping and cracking and wet. The sound of fire spells going off filled the air, but the creature was huge. At least three stories tall. It had glutted itself on the slums below. _“A bride!”_

Cloud dropped his rifle. Scrambled to Sephiroth’s side. The monster had nearly severed his head with its lashing tongue. The blood, the gore, it was unbelievable. But even as Cloud watched, Sephiroth's flesh twisted and curled.

They’ll know, Cloud realized with a lurch. The blood on his neck, in his hair. The blood all over him. They’ll know.

They’ll burn him.

_ I will not lose those I have left. _

Sephiroth dragged in a breath. His whole body jerked and shook. Cloud caught him. Held him. Tried to relieve some of the pressure as Sephiroth’s body arched so hard that only his heels and shoulders touched the ground.

“Hey, hey,” Cloud found himself saying, looping his arms behind Sephiroth's back, holding him up while Sephiroth twitched and jerked and shuddered. While the sinews of his neck reached for each other and reconnected.

His eyes were empty green when he blinked them open, the black slits of his pupils almost swallowed in the green.

“Cloud.” He said.

“You died.” Cloud said, words stumbling out of him without thought.

“Sugar for  _ daddy _ !” The monster Corneo roared.

“Oh my god, we have  _ got  _ to kill this thing” Zack’s voice crackled through the shrieking radio.

“It happens.” Sephiroth rasped, trying to climb to his feet.

“Wait, no.” Cloud clenched his arms around him. “You’re covered in blood, they’ll know!”

“They need me.” Sephiroth said.

Another explosion. Someone screamed.

“West flank, draw fire!” Zack’s voice, tight with anger and fear. “Kunsel, get Roche out of there!”

Cloud hesitated. Cast his gaze around. Lightened on Sephiroth’s sword.

“Cut me.” Cloud ordered, looking up as Sephiroth’s eyes pulled themselves together again.

“What?”

“Cut me! We’ll say I got hurt and didn’t notice, I bled all over you, no one will question it.”

“I don’t want—”

Cloud made a noise of frustration. Reached for the sword. Sephiroth rolled out of his arms. Out of reach. Held a hand out to ward him off.

“You do it or I do it.” Cloud warned, voice tight and serious. “I’m not losing you to this.”

Sephiroth stared. Took a shallow breath. The monster screamed.

“A small head wound.” Sephiroth agreed at last, voice raw. “They bleed a lot. I shouldn’t do you much harm that way.”

“Fine, hurry!” Cloud agreed.

Sephiroth hurried.

Somehow Cloud had forgotten that it would hurt.

-*-*-*-*-

“I thought I might find you here.”

“Oh. Hey Sephiroth.”

Cloud stayed where he was, leaning over the balcony. The crows had found the giant body of what had once been Don Corneo. He was taking a little pleasure in watching it be eaten.

“Too much attention?” Sephiroth guessed, wandering up beside him, leaning against the rail at his side.

“Yeah.” Cloud chuckled. “It wasn’t even that bad. I don’t know why everyone’s making such a big deal out of it. I mean, Roche lost an _arm_.”

Cloud lifted a hand to the bandages wrapped around his head. To the cushion of gauze over his right temple. Winced with a soft hiss. Still uncomfortable, even with the slightest pressure.

“Ah,” said Sephiroth slowly. “That... May be my fault.”

“Your fault.” Cloud echoed, looking over at him. “Care to enlighten me?”

Sephiroth gazed down at the ground out of green eyes. Almost but never quite human. He was still stained pink from blood. Cloud had made sure to smear it across his face. To tangle a bloody hand in his hair, as if he’d been grappling with him. Bleeding on him.

He felt bad about it. It was hard to get clean these days, and even though Sephiroth had been a mess already, at least that had been  _ his  _ blood.

“I told them you were wounded saving my life.” Sephiroth said.

Cloud dropped his water bottle in surprise. Sephiroth caught it before it could tumble to the ground.

“What?” Cloud asked, taking half a step back, turning to look at Sephiroth head on. “Why?”

Sephiroth stayed where he was, looking down. The roasted corpse below them. He lifted his left hand, Cloud’s water bottle dangling from it in offer.

“Because it’s true.”

“What? No. I just— Zack wouldn’t hurt you.”

“Come, Cloud.” Sephiroth said softly. “You know better.”

Cloud hesitated. Swallowed hard. Looked down at the giant corpse again. 

“He wouldn’t.” He insisted, even as he took the water bottle Sephiroth was offering him.

“He wouldn’t want to.” Sephiroth agreed at last.

Cloud’s head ached. Stung. The crows flew up and away. Severed themselves from the corpse and swept past where Cloud and Sephiroth stood on the balcony in a cacophony of wings. A pair of feathers drifted down past them.

“Thank you.” Sephiroth said over the din of their cawing.

"Yeah, well..."  Cloud muttered, shifting closer till his shoulder touched Sephiroth’s arm. "Just be careful next time."

“It must have been hard." Sephiroth guessed, scratching at some of the dried blood on his neck idly. "Trusting a monster with a sword not to kill you.” 

“No, that was fine.” Cloud shook his head. Closed his eyes. “It was… You died.”

“Oh.” Sephiroth’s voice was low. Almost intimate. “Yes.”

“It must have hurt.”

“I don’t really notice.”

“Start noticing.” Cloud sniped back, shoving his shoulder into Sephiroth’s arm.

The Soldier didn’t even move. But he did tilt his head down and laugh.

“I mean it.” Cloud said. “We’re in this together. So keep yourself safe. Even if it’s just for my sake so I don’t have to bleed all over you.”

Sephiroth looked over at Cloud with glowing eyes that didn’t seem so frightening anymore, even though there was no question now that he wasn’t human. His bowed lips curled up in a sweet, pleased smile.

“Whatever you like, Cloud.” He said.

Cloud shivered and leaned against him harder. From the sound of Sephiroth’s voice over his name, it seemed that he’d grown a taste for it.

“Hey, lovebirds!” Zack crowed, bursting in behind them. “Guess who got hot water so you can _shower_?”

“Lovebirds?” Cloud choked, his heart hammering from the surprise.

Sephiroth just smiled and straightened slowly, stretching his arms over his head.

“I owe you, Zack.” He said mildly, wandering towards the door. Then he glanced back at Cloud with the most come-hither look Cloud had ever seen. “You’ll join me, won’t you Cloud?”

Bad idea, Cloud told himself. Bad idea.

“Yes.” He said aloud in a dry voice.

Zack slipped in between them as they walked back downstairs and threw his arms around their shoulders, grinning like an idiot.

Behind his back, Sephiroth’s hand slipped over to rest on Cloud’s arm and stayed.


End file.
